A commercial apprentice electrician learns the trade on office, store and tenant build-out jobs while working for a licensed electrician. Early on they stage material, bend and hang conduit, pull wire through it and set boxes from a lift, while taking classes toward a journeyman license.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, electrical contractors · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $32,220, middle half $36,710 to $47,880, 90th percentile $57,300. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
Field Supervisor
Department
Operations
Schedule
Full time, early starts, some nights · Days follow the general contractor's site hours. Work in open stores can move to nights, and classes meet after work.
This role is designed for an aspiring apprentice electrician eager to develop skills within the commercial electrical sector. The position contributes to our company's commitment to quality and safety by assisting experienced journeymen while learning wiring protocols and executing basic installation tasks on commercial projects.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assist journeyman electricians on various commercial projects.
Learn, adhere to, and implement wiring protocols and industry standards.
Support the setup and preparation of tools and materials on job sites.
Maintain a safe work environment by following established safety procedures.
Contribute to troubleshooting and problem-solving on-site as directed.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Provide on-site support to journeyman electricians during installations and repairs.
Assist in the preparation and organization of electrical components and tools.
Participate in daily safety briefings and adhere to all safety guidelines.
Monitor project progress and report any issues to the supervisory team.
Engage in hands-on learning opportunities and complete training assignments.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Task Completion Rate: Achieve 95% of assigned daily tasks on schedule.
Safety Compliance: Maintain a record of 0 safety incidents.
Training Milestones: Complete 100% of required training modules within 6 months.
Quality Assurance: Ensure an error rate of less than 3% on installations.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent.
Basic understanding of electrical systems and safety protocols.
Strong willingness to learn and follow established wiring guidelines.
Effective communication and teamwork skills.
Ability to read basic blueprints and diagrams.
6. Preferred Experience
0-1 year of hands-on experience in an electrical role or apprenticeship.
Prior exposure to commercial electrical work or a related field.
Familiarity with standard construction site practices and safety measures.
Experience using basic hand and power tools in a work setting.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs.
Capacity for prolonged periods of standing, bending, and crouching.
Capability to work in various environmental conditions, including outdoor job sites.
Sufficient manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination for detailed tasks.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours typically from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional overtime may be required to meet project deadlines.
Frequent travel between commercial job sites.
On-call availability for emergency support during critical projects.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate ranging from $18.00 to $25.00.
Performance-based bonuses tied to project milestones.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans.
401k plan with company matching contributions.
Paid time off and access to professional development programs.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a collaborative environment that champions growth, innovation, and diversity.
Our company is committed to empowering every team member through ongoing training and mentorship.
We value open communication and celebrate our successes as a unified team.
Our culture is built on integrity, commitment, and a passion for excellence in service.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
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The first lessons in any electrical apprenticeship are the same. On commercial work the apprentice learns in steel stud walls and open ceilings, spends long hours on lifts, and may work public jobs that carry special pay rules.
Pipe comes before wire
On commercial jobs much of the wire runs in conduit, so the first real skills are cutting, reaming and bending pipe, then pulling wire through it. An apprentice who can bend a clean offset and keep a long run straight saves the journeyman time every day. Plan for the early months to go to staging material, layout and pulls, not to terminations in live gear.
Much of the day is spent on a lift
High ceilings in stores, schools and warehouses put pipe and fixtures out of ladder reach. OSHA calls scissor lifts mobile scaffolds and says many fall under its scaffold standard: guardrails in place, workers stand only on the platform, and only trained workers may run one. OSHA also says to keep the lift at least 10 feet from power lines and transformers. Train an apprentice before the first ride. Source: OSHA Scaffolding eTool: Scissor lifts.
The classroom side is usually a program
Commercial apprentices often train through a union or a merit shop program. The IBEW and NECA training alliance says its inside wiremen mostly do construction work in commercial and industrial buildings, and that their apprenticeship takes five years. Ask candidates which program they are in, or plan to sponsor them into one, since the program sets the class schedule you work around. Source: Electrical Training Alliance (IBEW and NECA): Electrical work specialties.
Apprentice rates on federal jobs need registration
On federal and many federally funded build-outs, Davis-Bacon rules set the pay floor. An apprentice may earn less than the posted electrician rate only while individually registered in a program approved by the federal Office of Apprenticeship or a recognized state agency. Staff more apprentices than the program's ratio allows and the extras get the full rate for the work they do. Source: 29 CFR 5.5: Davis-Bacon contract provisions, including apprentices (Cornell LII).
Some states count every unlicensed worker
Minnesota makes every unlicensed person doing electrical work for a contractor register with the state. Work done there after January 1, 2009 without registering earns no credit toward a license. A licensed electrician may directly supervise no more than two unlicensed workers, or three on low-voltage technology circuits such as alarm and control wiring. Other states differ, so look up your state's ratio before you set up crews. Source: Minnesota Statutes 326B.33: Electrical licenses (Revisor of Statutes).
How much commercial apprentice electricians make
The closest BLS group for commercial apprentice electricians is Helpers--Electricians. Helpers--Electricians who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $19.91 an hour ($41,410 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $42,670 median for Helpers--Electricians in all industries. About 52,870 of the 63,630 Helpers--Electricians in that survey work for electrical contractors.
Hourly with overtime, plus the project milestone bonuses in the template, with raises as the apprentice moves up the program's steps. BLS counts apprentices in the electrician figures alongside the licensed workers they train to become, so the electrician helper figures shown here are nearer a first-year rate.
Electrical contractors
$41,410$41,410 median Middle half $36,710–$47,880 10th–90th $32,220–$57,300
All industries
$42,670$42,670 median Middle half $36,830–$48,470 10th–90th $33,020–$58,340
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Electrical contractors
$32,220
$36,710
$41,410
$47,880
$57,300
All industries
$33,020
$36,830
$42,670
$48,470
$58,340
BLS reports residential and commercial electrical contractors together. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Handles the fractions and angles that pipe bending takes
Ready to spend long stretches on ladders and lifts at ceiling height
Follows the general contractor's site rules, badge and protective gear without reminders
Keeps material staged and the gang box in order without being told
Takes correction from a journeyman and tries again
Can get to class and keep up with the coursework
Teach these on the job
Bending EMT offsets, saddles and kicks with a hand bender
Cutting, threading and reaming rigid conduit
Setting up a wire pull with a tugger, rope and lube
Reading electrical sheets, panel schedules and one-line diagrams
Inspecting and running a scissor lift
Reading phase and circuit labels on three-phase panelboards
Apprentices bring a pouch of hand tools: a tape, a torpedo level, strippers, screwdrivers and a knife. The company owns the hand and power benders, threaders, band saws, tuggers, lifts and meters.
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Staying off energized work
A foreman from another crew asks you to pull wire into a panelboard, and you're not sure it's been locked out. What do you do?
A strong answer: Asks whether it's locked out and verified dead, waits for their own journeyman to confirm, puts on their own lock if your procedure calls for it, and doesn't touch anything until then.
Behavioral · Learning on the job
Tell me about a hands-on skill you got good at through practice at work, school or volunteering, such as measuring and cutting materials precisely.
A strong answer: Describes what they practiced, how they got feedback and how they knew they'd improved.
The field supervisor and the journeyman on the crew see this work up close, so build the numbers from their weekly notes and from how your past apprentices did.
Task Completion Rate
Use the foreman's daily list or the crew's lookahead schedule: how many of the apprentice's items, like staging a floor's conduit, were ready when the crew needed them. Note what held up any that weren't.
Safety Compliance
Incidents and near misses on the apprentice's jobs, plus findings from the general contractor's safety walks: lift pre-use checks, protective gear, housekeeping and lockout. Near misses count, since they show where training is thin.
Training Milestones
Classes passed, program skills signed off and job hours by type of work, set against the program's schedule. Reconcile your hour records with the program's each quarter so nothing is lost.
Quality Assurance
Rework the journeyman or inspector finds on the apprentice's installs, such as crooked runs, loose fittings, missing bushings or mislabeled circuits. Count items, not just jobs, and walk the apprentice through each one.
Career path
Pre-apprentice or material handlerStocks gang boxes, moves material and learns site safety before starting a program.
Apprentice electricianBends pipe and pulls wire on commercial sites while working through a program.
Is a union apprenticeship different from a merit shop one?
Both pair paid work with classes. IBEW and NECA sponsor their programs jointly, and their inside wireman track for commercial and industrial work takes five years. IEC's program usually takes about four years, with at least 8,000 hours on the job and 576 classroom hours. ABC says its programs are registered with the federal Office of Apprenticeship. Which fits depends on whether your shop works under a union agreement.
How much does a commercial apprentice electrician make?
Helpers--Electricians who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $19.91 an hour ($41,410 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $36,710 and $47,880 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Can a residential apprentice switch to commercial work?
Yes. Theory, code basics and safety habits carry over. What's new is pipe bending, three-phase panels, lift work and a large site shared with other trades. Whether past hours count depends on the state and the program, and some states want experience across several kinds of work. Oregon's out-of-state route to a journeyman license, for example, asks for at least 1,000 hours each in residential, commercial and industrial work.
What does an apprentice do on a tenant improvement job?
A tenant improvement guts a space and rebuilds it for a new tenant. The apprentice helps the journeyman trace and make safe the old circuits, then sets boxes in new metal stud walls, runs pipe above the ceiling grid, pulls wire and helps hang fixtures. At trim-out they install devices and label circuits. The rest of the building may stay open, so they keep halls clear and clean up each day.
What should a commercial apprentice electrician ad say?
Name the work: new stores, offices, schools or tenant build-outs. Say which program you sponsor or accept, who pays tuition and books, and how raises follow hours and classes. Mention night or weekend work if there is any, and whether you bid public jobs. List the tools you supply so a first-year applicant knows what to buy.
